


World Bubbles: Digimon Adventure

by Lunarcentric



Category: Digimon Adventure, Metal Fight Beyblade | Beyblade: Metal Fusion, THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Multiple Dimensions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 18:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19156864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarcentric/pseuds/Lunarcentric
Summary: DISCONTINUED





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I can't figure out a freaking summary, I'll get back to that at some point. Everything I come up with sounds too cliche.
> 
> So! Uh, I actually can't really remember what brought this project to life, it's been a while. But one of the characters kind of jumped out at me the other day, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to post what I have and maybe I'll find my drive for it again!
> 
> I'll be adding links to the ref sheets for this in the notes for chapter 2.

**Beyblade Metal Fight World**

**Post-Fury Era**

 

“She actually did it-”

“Holy moly!”

“Crap, I owe Brad ten bucks.”

“-is the world gonna end again?!”

Mizuki couldn't help but laugh at her friends' theatrics. She'd taken only one step into Dungeon Gym and was already being assaulted by their antics. “Guys, it's just a haircut! I said I'd get one eventually.”

Masamune looked at her like she was speaking moon gibberish. “It's been _a year_ since the World Championships!”

“Not to mention that was like, three feet of hair you just chopped off,” Zeo added matter-of-factly. “Three-and-a-half? It went way past your-”

“Even if I lost a bet over it,” Toby interrupted, “I'm glad you finally felt ready to have it done.” He smiled. “Maybe in a few days we can go together and get our hair dyed. Be chocolate twins again.”

Mizuki giggled. “Toby, we haven't used that in like, five years.”

“Yeah, but I think it's about time it made a comeback.” He flashed finger guns, grinning impishly. It only made her laugh more.

Really, it had taken a lot of her courage to finally step into a salon. She'd been afraid to do anything to her hair once it had been corrupted by the prototype Arrangement she'd been given, doubling its length and turning it from brown to silver – almost identical to what had happened to Toby's hair from his. She'd felt trying to change it might stir up some yet-unknown side effect, and that fear alone was enough to stall any appointment.

She was glad her little brother had finally convinced her to do it. It also helped that her natural color was growing back in from her roots. She reached up to gently set her hand on the top of her head, pure and brown.

“Maybe so,” she agreed. “Though I still say your color was closer to a graham cracker than chocolate.”

“Details, details. Are we gonna get training or what?”

Rolling her eyes, Mizuki nodded. “Frost Lynx and I are gonna kick your butts today.”

“You wish,” Masamune jabbed with a smirk. “Blitz Striker will take all of you down!”

“Not if Spiral Fox has anything to say about it!”

“Ladies, ladies, you're all beautiful, let's calm down now,” Toby cracked. “Besides, Lyra and I are totally the best.”

“Hah!”

“That's adorable.”

“You wish!”

Joining the other two in chasing Toby out the door, Mizuki was just glad they could joke like this again after all that had happened – Ziggurat, Spiral Force, Nemesis. Days like this made it all seem like a bad dream.

She was glad it was a bad dream that was starting to finally fade away.

* * *

**Digimon Adventure World**

**Post-Adventure 02 Era**

 

_Ugh...what the heck?_

Mizuki came to in, of all places, a bathroom stall. Her head was pulsing in pain, she was squished by the small floor-space, and she felt like her feet were being crushed. It was an effort to get up with these three very annoying issues, but she managed it and only hit her head on the door once.

The stall was unlocked – which was concerning, but the least of her problems – so all she had to do was pull the door open to step out. Her surroundings were nothing more than a public bathroom, which could mean she was...anywhere.

Trying to discern the tightness she was feeling, Mizuki turned to the mirror stretched out over the sinks, and her brow furrowed immediately at the sight. She seemed to be wearing a summer school uniform. While processing this – so she was in a school? - she kicked off her shoes and felt the pain fade almost instantly. If she had to go shoe-less, so be it.

Looking at the mirror again, something else strange clicked, and she was hit with a wave of overwhelming joy. _Brown!_

She hurried closer to the mirror and grabbed at her hair, making sure she wasn't imagining it. She wasn't – the corrupted silver color she'd had since her Arrangement was all once again the natural, chocolate brown it had taken away from her. Mizuki found herself blinking back a few tears and let a small laugh bubble out.

Looks like she wouldn't have to dye it back after all. Man, Toby was going to kill her.

Mizuki turned toward the stalls as a sound behind her pulled her out of her thoughts. For a moment, she wasn't sure if she'd just imagined it or not, but then it happened again – some small noise from the handicap stall. Curious and concerned, Mizuki stepped forward to knock on it, only to find the door slightly ajar – like the stall she'd woken up in, it wasn't locked.

Pushing the door open and peering in, Mizuki was greeted by the sight of another girl coming to, sprawled out on the floor of the stall. It looked like upon her awakening, she'd hit her head on the toilet base, as she was holding it tightly and her face was grimaced in pain.

“You okay?” Mizuki asked.

The girl scoffed, trying to smirk through the pain. “Oh, yeah, I do this all the time. No problems here.”

Mizuki smiled a bit. “You make a habit of waking up in bathrooms and hitting your head on toilets?”

“Definitely.” Carefully sitting up, the other girl rubbed her head. “Uh...where am I?”

“Wish I knew. Looks like we're in the same boat.” Extending her hand, Mizuki smiled wider when the girl accepted her help, and together they got her on her feet. “Tategami Mizuki.”

“Saito Akemi. What are you wearing?” As she patted herself off, Akemi amended, “Or, what are _we_ wearing?”

Mizuki gestured to the mirror. “Some kind of school uniform, I think. Hope your shoes fit better than mine.”

Frowning at her reflection, Akemi admitted, “Definitely too big...More importantly, I had blue bangs before waking up here. Now I don't.”

“My hair changed, too.” Mizuki was already collecting her shoes. “Hey, switch with me? Mine are too tight.”

The girls swapped shoes, and both were satisfied with the results. Then, checking their skirts for anything that might be useful, both found cell phones tucked away in their pockets. Akemi immediately tried to call for help, while Mizuki considered hers with uncertainty. She'd never owned one – not that her friends didn’t try to convince her otherwise – but this seemed to be customized for her. The case held a pattern of cat heads, over a pale light blue background.

“Damn,” Akemi swore. “It’s not even my phone. The only thing on here that isn't default is you as a contact.” She frowned accusingly at the phone in its seashell-over-dark-blue case. “You?”

“Probably the same. I don't own one to begin with.” Mizuki turned the screen on, not surprised by the generic background. Working from memories of Zeo and Toby's phones, purchases insisted on by Coach Steel after...the incident, she found her way to the contact list. “Just you. Is this some weird isolation attempt-?”

“If this were an anime,” Akemi cut in, probably not having heard Mizuki continue, “we're probably in a different world. Try searching for things and people you know.” Taking her own advice, she started tapping away.

Another world? Well...with the circumstances, that wasn't an impossibility, was it? Kyoya and the others had faced a god of destruction, after all. With their clothes, hair differences, location and phones, this could be something like that. Mizuki felt tired just considering it. _I mean yeah, I like exciting things, but not like this!_

Locating the search bar, she started with the most logical things. _Beyblade. Legendary bladers. Nemesis. WBBA._

To her increasing alarm, there were absolutely no hits at all.

_Spiral Force. Dr. Ziggurat. Beyblade World Championship._

Nothing.

_Battle Bladers. Hagane Gingka. Tategami Kyoya. Ryuga._

The tournament name gave nothing, and the information found for the names was far from what she was looking for. Mizuki clenched her teeth.

_What should we do, Lynx?_ she thought worriedly. _I doubt the number for the gym will work, even if I could remember it. I don't know what..._

Realization jarred her. _Lynx._

“Saito-san, was there anything in your pockets besides your phone?” Mizuki asked, checking for anything else in her own. Pulled from her web searching, Akemi made a quick check, but shook her head.

Mizuki bit her lip. Suddenly, the situation felt more than twice as alarming. She didn't even have her bey with her – that hadn't happened in...had that ever happened at all? Even when she was being kept in Hades City, they'd let her keep Frost Lynx. All they'd done was taken her launcher.

This had just become a whole other type of 'not okay'.

Akemi chewed on her thumbnail, clearly thinking. “Okay. No one I know seems to exist. Going by your face, nothing you know does, either. So that random thought of anime logic doesn't seem so out of the question. The questions are, obviously, 'why' and 'how'?”

“And 'where',” Mizuki added. “I'm guessing Japan, but...definitely not the Japan I know.”

“Right.” Akemi shoved her phone back into her pocket. “This must be a school bathroom. Maybe we should try playing along for the day and see what happens. Not that I'd know where to go...”

_Classroom 2-C. I sit in the last seat in the third row from the front._

Mizuki stifled a scream. At the same time, Akemi's eyes widened and she visibly tensed. “What was—Tategami-san? Are you okay?”

Feeling herself shaking, Mizuki wanted to nod and not worry her. She knew that would be a lie, though. “V-Voice...in my head. Can't— Bad memories.”

Akemi offered her hand, and Mizuki quickly took it. “Breathe, Tategami-san. I got it too. Classroom 2-C?”

“Yeah.” Mizuki squeezed her new friend's hand, letting the feeling ground her. This wasn't like the Arrangement trying to take her over. She wasn't alone this time, and the voice was already gone. The voice hadn't tried to control her.

A few minutes passed, with Akemi holding and gently rubbing her hand. It was just like what her younger brother often did to calm her from things like this, so it helped more than she expected. By the time they heard the school bell ring, she was settled enough that it only barely made her jump.

“I think class is starting,” Akemi mused. “Let's go find that 2-C room, huh?”

Stashing her phone back in her pocket, Mizuki nodded. It was the only lead they had.

* * *

Classroom 2-C was just a few doors down the hall. No one seemed surprised that they were late, and the only thing the teacher said to them was asking if Akemi had gotten her arm looked at by the nurse. She awkwardly waved an affirmative, and the two headed for their seats. Mizuki noted that Akemi was two chairs over from her, in the row behind.

They were never questioned for their lack of books, and never called on during the lesson. Mizuki tried to at least look like she was paying attention, but she was more concerned with glancing around and seeing if there was anyone familiar in the room. She found no one, but did find the clock – it was actually the middle of the day. She had no idea what the schedule might be, but she guessed lunch must have been either recent or perhaps next.

She was able to follow along more than she expected, considering this appeared to be math. The teacher didn't drone on or make her tired. Though, she wasn't given an assignment sheet like the rest of the class, and a glance back told her Akemi hadn't received one, either. It was like the class's eyes were all just passing over them, like they weren't even there.

Well, if it also got her out of homework she wouldn't understand, she'd roll with it.

No one had called them out for not belonging there by the end of the class, and lunch began. Akemi brought her chair over and joined her at her desk, showing off a lunchbox she clearly didn't remember having. Checking inside her desk, Mizuki found her own. Both had a simple lunch of rice and the little octopus-cut hot dogs Mizuki could never remember the name of.

“It's like we're invisible,” Akemi murmured into her chopsticks. Mizuki nodded as she struggled with her own, having lived in New York for so long she couldn't quite remember how to place her fingers. “Don't suppose anyone looks familiar?”

“Nope. I think we're on our own.” Deciding she didn't care for the moment, Mizuki used her fingers to pluck one of the octo-dogs out and popped it into her mouth. “Hm. Good.”

Akemi nodded in agreement. The two ate in silence for a while, not sure what to talk about. They listened to other groups talk with each other, but it only sounded like normal chatter.

“See any cute guys?” Akemi joked after a while. Mizuki smirked, making a show of looking around the classroom. Even objectively, no one looked very attractive to her. She gave a dramatic sigh as she turned back around, and Akemi giggled. “Yeah, neither did I—oh!”

Akemi leaned in, lowering her voice. “There's a guy looking at us.”

Mizuki finished chewing her last octo-dog and swallowed before answering. “Really? Which one?”

“Blue hair, glasses. Kind of tall. Just a few seats over.”

After a moment, Mizuki nodded. She remembered seeing him when she'd been looking around in class. He'd stood out because his height hadn't been coupled with muscle – he certainly wasn't very athletic. “And you're sure? No one else seems to care we're here.”

“Third time I've seen him look. It's not even coincidence. I think he knows.” Akemi scraped for her final bit of rice. “What do you think?”

“I mean, he seems harmless. At least going by his appearance.” He'd seemed completely invested in the lesson earlier. “Don't suppose it's just because of a crush on one of us?”

“Aw, don't suggest that, we'd have to turn him down. I'd rather he knows we shouldn't be here than have to hurt him like that.”

Mizuki considered that. “Fair enough,” she decided. “So... Might wait until we're let out for the day? He doesn't look like the type to approach someone in a closed public space like this.”  
  
Nodding, Akemi placed her chopsticks in her lunch box and closed it up. “Probably. What should we tell him?”

“I guess it depends on how he brings it up. As long as he's confused and not confrontational, we may as well tell him the truth.”

“And if he is confrontational?”

“Hm...” Closing her lunchbox, Mizuki suggested, “How good at intimidating are you?”

“I think I'm better at overwhelming. I can be pretty loud.”

“You get all uppity at him while I scare him off?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Akemi pushed her chair back, ready to stand, when her eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

“He's walking over. Like, now.”

“What?” Mizuki tried to reorganize her plan for 'instantaneous', but by the time she looked up, he was already standing next to them. “Uh...”

As credit to her skills at people-reading, he looked as nervous as she'd expected him to. “Ah, excuse me... I was wondering if...”

Oh, no. He really did have a crush on one of them, didn't he? This was going to be rough.

“Which of us are you talking to?” Akemi asked, not sure whether or not she should stand.

Taking a moment to clear his throat, he apparently steeled himself. “Ah, both of you, actually. I was wondering if you would...be interested in joining my friends and I after school. We're getting together at a sweets cafe.”

The girls exchanged looks. Mizuki had been in this position with other female bladers – he was asking not only for himself, but for a friend as well. This wasn't uncommon in her experience, but...boy, was it awkward.

Akemi leaned back a bit, trying to figure out how to be gentle. “Um...we're not really interested in...”

“We're not looking for any relationships right now,” Mizuki said carefully. “If this is simply as friends, then that's okay.”

“Ah-” They watched his face flush red. “No, no, nothing like that! I'm so sorry, I didn't intend to come off like that! This is simply an outing with my friends, and I noticed you two were, ah, not interacting much with anyone else, so I thought I would invite you.”

Mizuki disengaged immediately. “Oh! How many, then?”

“I-Including me, there are five of us. Seven if the other two don't have plans with their other friends.”

A group of five or seven. That wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they'd misunderstood the whole situation. “Can we give you an answer after school?” Akemi asked.

He nodded. “Ah, certainly! Again, I'm very sorry for the miscommunication, I-”

Mizuki chuckled. “Don't worry about it. Mizuki, by the way. Tategami Mizuki.”

“Saito Akemi.”

“Kido Jou.” He smiled with relief. “Then, I'll see you later?”

The girls nodded, and Jo turned to head back to his seat. Akemi nearly flopped over the desk with a sigh. “Well, that was a mess and a half. Could've gone worse, though.”

Shaking her head, Mizuki agreed, “Much worse.”

“He seems nice, anyway. Whatever this is about, at least it feels normal.” Akemi pulled herself up, standing at last. “Normal for whatever this is supposed to be, at least.”

“I guess we have plans for after school now, huh?”

“Well, it's more time to spend figuring out where we're going to stay for the night.” Akemi huffed, grabbing her chair and her lunchbox. “I hope they're willing to pay for us, because we sure don't have wallets.”

Mizuki winced. “We'll have to bring that up. 'Til then, I guess.”

“Yup.” Akemi returned to her own desk, and a few minutes later, the next teacher came in and everyone settled down.

Mizuki made a point to participate in this lesson, mostly to show off her superior English skills. She hadn't lived in New York for six years only to never learn the language.

She had a feeling the stifled laughter she was hearing was Akemi.

* * *

Jou hurried out of the classroom before they could catch him, after having apparently seen something on his phone to cause him alarm. The girls followed the tide of students towards the shoe lockers, and watched awkwardly for a minute or so before something in their minds locked on to specific spots and they decided to go for it.

The shoes Akemi wound up with were sea-foam and purple lace-less sneakers, and she seemed content with them. The dark blue boots Mizuki got weren't as detailed as her usual ones, but at least they fit well. She was putting away her school shoes when a brunette boy approached them.

“Tategami Mizuki and Saito Akemi?” At their nods, he grinned. “Yagami Taichi. I'm Jou's friend. He had to take care of something, but he'll be back in a minute. Yamato and Sora are just outside if you wanna meet them now.”

Without any real reason to decline, the girls agreed and followed him out. They were waved at by a girl with orange hair, who had a blonde boy standing beside her tapping at his phone. Taichi ran ahead, but Mizuki didn't feel so inclined. She didn't mind the extra time to take their appearances in.

It was probably just coincidence, but the blonde's bored and distant expression reminded Mizuki of Kyoya. Meanwhile, the ginger girl gave a smile that looked as friendly as Toby's. Taichi seemed to have the same amount of energy as Masamune... And if she thought about it, Jou had given the quiet vibe of Zeo in his worried, brotherly moments.

The girl introduced herself as Takenouchi Sora, while her blonde friend was Ishida Yamato. They were also supposed to meet Izumi Koushirou, a year younger than them – two years for Jou and the girls – and if available, Yamato and Taichi's younger siblings.

As they waited for Jou, Sora and Taichi were more than glad to talk to fill the space, but Yamato continued giving off a Kyoya-esque vibe and didn't contribute. Akemi tried to include him, but when she realized he wasn't interested in conversation, Mizuki could tell she wasn't insulted.

Jou arrived after not too long, apologizing profusely. He said something about a friend causing a commotion, which Mizuki could understand completely. Akemi brought up the subject of their lack of wallets – claiming they'd left them at home by mistake – and the group promised to cover for them. The lack of hesitance in Taichi's response put Mizuki a bit more at ease. Sure, they were still completely lost in a world neither of them knew, but at least there were people willing to cover small bills for them.

The group made their way off school grounds, idly chatting about their day. Just like in the classroom, none of them seemed bothered by Mizuki and Akemi being there. If she hadn't gotten here by waking up in a bathroom stall, Mizuki might've felt like she'd been grafted seamlessly into this world – well, also excluding the glitches like their lack of school supplies and homework. Not that she was complaining on that front.

It was an uneventful trip to the sweets cafe. Mizuki and Akemi made the illusion of having others to talk to by texting each other, and it seemed to work well. Akemi suggested they make sure to keep leftovers in order to have something to eat that night, which was something Mizuki had been concerned about.

Koushirou was waiting for them when they arrived, along with a younger brunette girl that was clearly Taichi's sister. She introduced herself as Yagami Hikari, and said that Takeru – Yamato's brother, Mizuki assumed – had decided to go out with the 'others'. She hesitated when she looked at Mizuki and Akemi, though, which was the first sign they'd gotten that someone felt they were out of place. Mizuki couldn't tell if she felt relieved by it or not.

Hikari didn't bring it up, and they found a table in the cafe without further issue. Figuring out orders took the next several minutes – Mizuki decided on getting green tea ice cream, something she hadn't had in at least two years. Akemi went with sharing a large plate of taiyaki with Sora and Koushirou.

As they waited for their food and drinks, most of the group turned to Jou, who had gained a somehow determined look as they'd been ordering. Yamato, sitting beside him, murmured, “If you're sure, you need to say something.” Besides his name, it had been the first thing he'd said, and Mizuki tried not to tense. If he was anything like Kyoya, he only spoke when he felt he needed to.

Jou cleared his throat. “Yes...right. Tategami-san...Saito-san. There is...there is actually a second reason I asked you to join us today.”

Mizuki clenched her hands in her lap. He _did_ know. Why did he bring his friends into it? Had he been unsure about confronting them alone? “And what's that?”

“...You're not supposed to be here, are you?”

Mizuki felt Akemi's foot touch hers, gently. She let her be the one to answer. “I'm not trying to sound cryptic, but that could mean a lot of things. What are you talking about, exactly?”

He nodded. “Well...I have no memory of either of you ever being in my class before today. You wear our uniform, but you don't have bags or books, and you seemed lost when you entered the classroom. So... Am I right in assuming that you aren't from here? That everyone seeming to know you already is...something we should be worried about?”

Trying to pick her words, Mizuki let herself take a long breath. “Saito-san and I have already figured that part out. It seems like...” She glanced at Akemi for confirmation, and continued at her nod. “It seems like she and I are from different worlds. We don't know the school, we don't know you, and...nothing we searched on the web that we do know seems to exist at all.”

“You don't seem all that surprised,” Akemi added, which was something Mizuki had noticed in Jou's tone, too.

Taichi spoke up. “That's because the idea of other worlds isn't something that's really new to us. Although...it's not usually regular people that we see when it comes up.”

“I don't suppose either of you know anything about Digimon?” Jou asked.

Mizuki shook her head; Akemi did as well. Hikari took the next attempt. “How about a world of darkness? With an ocean, and strange creatures?”

This time when given the negative answer, the group seemed relieved. “So then, we seem to be dealing with two other worlds that up until now, we've known nothing about,” Koushirou mused. “I'll contact Gennai-san and see if he knows anything... Ah, he's a friend of ours who lives in the Digital World – the place of origin for Digimon,” he added after a pause. “He's usually very knowledgeable about things like this, so he might be of some help in getting you two home.”

“Do you two have somewhere to stay?” Jou asked. Akemi shook her head.

“I can ask my mom,” Sora offered.

“My dad might be willing,” Yamato added. “We could only take one, though. It's just an apartment.”

Koushirou nodded. “I don't think my parents would mind, either, but I believe Sora-san's house would have the most space.”

Standing, Sora promised, “I'll call her right now.” When Mizuki and Akemi decided to nod – this was more than generous – she headed outside, as to not disrupt anyone with her phone call.

“So...what's a Digimon?” Akemi asked. “Are they something that come into your world often?”

As if reading from a textbook, Koushirou began to explain, “A Digimon is a digital creature that resides in a place known as the Digital World. They have many stages of life that, along with their surroundings, determine what forms they'll take as they grow. The more power they possess, the larger and more powerful they can become, though most tend to naturally grow no stronger than a Champion level – that is, the fourth form. The order of their forms grows from Fresh, the baby level, to In-Training, which could be compared to human toddlers. Rookie would be a child form, and is what many Digimon remain at without interference. Champion is when they start gaining the power to really fight for themselves, and past that are the Ultimate and Mega levels.”

“Our world and the Digital World have been involved with each other since we were younger,” Hikari continued. “Though, that wasn't really public until last year. Unless they have a human partner, Digimon tend to stay in their world these days. Sometimes their presence can disrupt our technology if too many are together, since they're made of data.”

Right. Technology, programs, data. Of course. “Human partner? Like...in battle?”

The group considered this. “Well,” Jou began, “in the Digital World, it's natural for the odd Digimon to pop up that wants to fight. It's just how it works there. So yes, sometimes we have to use that bond to fight, since it allows them to digivolve – I mean, grow to their stronger forms, but most of the time they're really just good friends.”  
  
“We haven't had any problems from the Digital World in months, so you don't have to worry about that,” Taichi assured them. “But we've helped the Digital World and the Digimon so many times now that when Jou mentioned two girls that suddenly appeared in his class, I guess none of us really thought twice.”

Thinking on the wording they'd been using, Mizuki guessed, “So do all of you have Digimon partners, then?”

The others all nodded. “Mine was actually the, ah, friend that was causing a scene earlier,” Jou admitted sheepishly. “He came to the school to walk home with me, but there was this flock of birds, and...”

“You'll surely meet the partner of whoever you end up staying with,” Koushirou said. “They like to stay with us rather often, now that they don't have to hide themselves.”

“Man, that sounds awesome,” Akemi sighed. “My world doesn't have anything like that.”

“What's your world like?” Hikari asked politely.

“Hm...It's a lot like this one. Maybe identical, though I think we're a bit further in technology, and we definitely don't have Digimon.” She let her eyes wander, thinking through it a bit more. “You have some of the same idol agencies we do, but then there's some I don't know, and some that my world has and you don't. And I guess that's only something I noticed because my dad runs one of those agencies that you don't have here.”

Taichi grinned. “Hey, that's pretty cool! Do you get to hang out with them and stuff?”

“Sometimes. Schedules can get pretty busy, and I don't want to start any rumors.” Akemi shrugged. “I mostly help out at the office. Everyone's pretty nice.”

The group turned expectantly toward Mizuki, and she tried to figure out how to explain beyblades to people who'd never heard of them. “Um, let's see...they're not creatures like Digimon, but there are these...items, that people can be partners with. They're the playing part in this sport we have. If you have a close enough bond with them, sometimes you can hear their voice...we use them in battles with each other. There are gyms and tournaments dedicated to it, and...I-I guess it's pretty much the central system of the world.” She blinked tears from her eyes. “There have been people who tried to use their power for their own gain...m-my friends and I got caught up in one of those schemes, but we made it out...okay. And, ah...well, I don't want to go into detail, but the end of the world is pretty much as scary as you'd think it would be. Though my brother helped fend that off...”

Instinctively, she reached for her side, but – of course – Lynx wasn't there. She swallowed and tried not to make eye contact with anyone.

“What's your partner's name?” Yamato asked. His voice sounded more gentle than before. “Did they come with you?”

“Um, n-no. They didn't.” Mizuki shook her head. “It's called Frost Lynx. It, um...it must have been left behind when I was brought here. The last thing I remember is following some of my friends out of our training gym...”

“I'm sure someone found it, and is watching over it for you until you get back.”

Mizuki blinked at Yamato's unexpected comforting. That, and to keep the tears from flooding her eyes. “Y-Yeah, I'm sure they did.”

Hikari patted her hand, smiling with understanding. “We've lost contact with our partners before, too. I'm sure you'll be back home to Frost Lynx in no time.”

Their orders arrived, and no one made her keep talking after that.

* * *

“The theory of parallel worlds is something I've already been looking into for a while now,” Koushirou promised them. “We'll have this figured out before too long.”

Standing with Yamato, Mizuki nodded. “Thanks, Izumi-san. I'm...really eager to get home.”

“My dad is probably losing it right now,” Akemi agreed at Sora's side.

Mizuki didn't even want to imagine what her friends had done when they'd noticed she'd vanished. Or Coach Steel. Or – she held back a shudder – her brothers.

Kakeru was going to, possibly literally, flip when she didn't come home tonight. And hopefully someone would have the sense to not call Kyoya right away, or New York City might not survive his quest to find her.

“I'll bring some clothes over for you later, okay?” Sora told her. “Then the three of us can go shopping this weekend.”

Everyone said their goodbyes – Hikari was especially kind, making sure her brother exchanged phone numbers with them both – and Mizuki began following Yamato. It wasn't a long trip to his home, but it was quiet, and yet again Mizuki felt that he reminded her so much of her brother. It was a good feeling.

When they arrived, he hurried to clean the couch off for her and waved someone over from his bedroom. Still taking off her boots, Mizuki only made it a few steps in before something that definitely wasn't human walked into her sight.

“Tategami-san, this is my partner, Gabumon. Gabumon, she'll be staying with us for a while.”

The creature – Digimon? – seemed to be some kind of yellow...reptile? with a striped wolf-like pelt draped over it and hiding most of its features. A horn stuck out from its forehead, and the pattern on its stomach reminded Mizuki of an Easter egg.

Mizuki smiled awkwardly. “Um, hi...Gabumon. I'm Tategami Mizuki.” She gave a slight bow, not sure what the courtesy was for Digimon.

It seemed content. “Ah, it's nice to meet you. Can I call you Mizuki? Yamato says that's something I need to ask permission for.”

“Ah-” She found herself chuckling. “Yes, that's fine. That's an important courtesy in Japan.”

Gabumon nodded, clearly taking the information in carefully. “So, can I ask why you're staying here? Are you Yamato's girlfriend?”

Yamato instantly started spluttering. “Gabumon-!”

“No, no!” Mizuki could only laugh, the question had been asked so innocently. “I was sent here from another world, and we're trying to figure out how to get me home. Ishida-san said his dad was alright with me staying here in the meantime.”

“Ohh!” Gabumon smiled. “Well, we're happy to have you, Mizuki!”

Hearing Yamato still grumbling by the couch, Mizuki giggled. “Thanks, Gabumon.”

Mizuki spent a few minutes talking with Gabumon, while Yamato cleaned up the area for her. She didn't learn anything particularly exciting, but apparently the pelt he wore was from his Champion form, Garurumon, and it was just a pile of data collected from a fallen one that Gabumon (as a plural) formed into the coat to wear. He refused to take it off, but he let her rub her hand through it – digital or not, the fur was very soft, and probably warm, too. She still wasn't sure if 'reptile' worked for him or not, but she supposed it didn't really matter.

“Sorry for the wait,” Yamato apologized when he was done. “We're not used to visitors.”

Mizuki just shrugged. “It's fine. My little brother is a disaster, so a messy apartment isn't anything new to me.”

“Glad we're not the worst, then.” He gave a light smile. “I've got homework to get done, but there's a TV and a chatty Digimon, so hopefully you'll find something to do.”

“Let me know if English gives you a hassle. I've lived in New York for six years.”

“Am I allowed to claim you as my new best friend?”

They shared a laugh over that, then Yamato disappeared into his room. Mizuki glanced around – the apartment wasn't anything special, but that was fine. She had a place to sit, and a floor to use, and that was enough.

There weren't a lot of stretches she was willing to do in a skirt, but different world or not, Mizuki wasn't going to skip out. She started with her arms, running through her usual routine – up, down, side and side, etc. Gabumon watched her for a while, then asked if he could join. Mizuki taught him how to toe-reach, both standing up and sitting down, and even if it was just from having something to do, he seemed to enjoy himself.

Gabumon was a pretty decent stretching partner. Entertaining, too – he fell over a few times, though at least once was on purpose, and had a million questions about her world that she couldn't help but answer. He seemed as excited as a kid to learn about it, and it was pretty cute.

Yamato poked out of his room while they were still on the floor, chatting about the different constellations she'd seen in beys. The discussion was put on pause as she helped him with one of the worst parts of the English language – _'their', 'they're',_ and _'there'._ She could say with confidence that he was a far better student than Masamune. She also gave some advice regarding the grammar in the paper he was writing, and the difference between _'r'_ and _'l'_ , which to no surprise he had mixed up several times.

In return, she learned that his friend, Tachikawa Mimi, was currently living in this world's New York. She and his little brother Takeru were the sixth and seventh members of the group that had been taken to the Digital World through their summer camp four years ago, with Hikari joining them later on. They had stopped several threats in the Digital World since then.

The 'other friends' that Takeru had decided to hang out with that day were the newer members of the 'Digidestined', kids his age that were chosen just over a year ago to face new threats from the Digital World. Takeru and Hikari had been chosen a second time to aid these three, later four, other kids.

In the midst of Yamato describing Takeru's Digimon ('a large cream and orange potato with wings') he was cut off by his cell phone, and stepped away to answer it. Almost at the same time, Mizuki's phone let off a notification bell from the couch.

**From Saito Akemi: Hey! I found a background I thought you'd like for your phone.**

**From Saito Akemi: [File Sent]**

Mizuki squealed and started giggling. The photo in question showed the most adorable baby lynx, and she wasted no time setting it as her background.

**To Saito Akemi: That is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Thank you thank you thank you!**

 

**From Saito** **Akemi** **: Yay! You're welcome!**

**From Saito Akemi: How are things at Ishida-san's?**

 

**To Saito Akemi: We're good. His partner makes a good stretching partner. He's like a yellow reptile with a wolf pelt draped over him?**

**To Saito Akemi: What about you?**

 

**From Saito Akemi: Takenouchi-san is really nice! Her partner is a big pink bird named Piyomon. She has the cutest head feather!**

**From Saito Akemi: [File Sent]**

 

**To Saito Akemi: Aww!**

 

**From Saito Akemi: Takenouchi-san's mother said that we're welcome to help at her flower shop if we want, too. I think I will! One of the idols in my dad's agency runs one and it'll be really funny to surprise him when we get home!**

 

**To Saito Akemi: Oh, that sounds interesting. Maybe I'll give it a try, too.**

 

**From Saito Akemi: Like my dad likes to say, “Follow your passion!” Hahaha~**

...Wait.

**To Saito** **Akemi** **: Is that like your dad's big thing? Passion?**

 

**From Saito Akemi: Oh, big time! He goes off on a speech about it at least once a day.**

Saito? Idols? Passion?

**To Saito** **Akemi** **: Hey, I never asked. What's the name of your dad's agency?**

 

**From Saito Akemi: 315 Pro. You can say it like “Saikou”.**

Mizuki felt her jaw drop, just slightly. _No way._

**To Saito** **Akemi** **: Is one of the units he works with called Jupiter?**

 

**From Saito Akemi: ??? How did you know that? Does the agency exist in your world too?**

 

**To Saito Akemi: Not exactly...**

**To Saito Akemi: This might sound crazy.**

**To Saito Akemi: I know your dad's agency from an anime.**

There was an understandably long silence on Akemi's end. Mizuki herself leaned against the couch, letting out a breath. “I think parallel worlds are hurting my brain,” she confided in Gabumon, who was polite enough not to make her explain.

**From Saito** **Akemi** **: Dramatic Stars, High x Joker, Beit, SEM, W, Jupiter?**

**From Saito Akemi: Started in the spring? Pulled Jupiter from freelancing?**

**From Saito Akemi: Their collective song is “Reason!!”?**

 

**To Saito Akemi: All of that.**

**To Saito Akemi: You're not in it, though.**

 

**From Saito Akemi: I think I'm more relieved about that than I am baffled that my dad's agency is an anime.**

**From Saito Akemi: I can't believe this. It's nuts. You're sure?**

 

**To Saito Akemi: Completely. It's one of my favorites.**

**To Saito Akemi: ...This is going to sound stupid.**

 

**From Saito Akemi: I'm in a different world with someone who just told me my world is an anime. Go for it.**

 

**To Saito Akemi: When you get home, would you tell Jupiter that I'm proud of them for taking themselves away from 961 Pro.? I got really emotional during their episodes.**

**To Saito Akemi: I wish I could go to just one of their concerts.**

 

**From Saito Akemi: I promise I'll tell them.**

**From Saito Akemi: And yeah, that would be cool.**

**From Saito Akemi: Who knows? Maybe Izumi-san will find a way for us to visit each other's worlds.**

 

**To Saito Akemi: I'd really like that.**

**To Saito Akemi: That show's done a lot for me. The franchise as a whole has, really, but Jupiter's escape from...well, I guess I won't go into details, since I don't know how much you know. That wouldn't be fair to their privacy.**

**To Saito Akemi: But the season about your dad's agency started airing right after I went through something really bad, and watching Jupiter find themselves...Well, it made a big change in how I recovered, in a good way.**

 

**From Saito Akemi: I'm sorry that you went through something like that, but I'm glad that even from another world, they could reach out to you when you needed it.**

**From Saito Akemi: You have my word, they'll know how much they helped you.**

 

**To Saito Akemi: Thank you so much.**

Mizuki chuckled as Gabumon offered her a box of tissues. She sniffled, not having realized she had been crying a little. “Thanks, Gabumon. I'm okay.”

She wiped her eyes and blew her nose, then turned back to her phone as Akemi started talking again.

**From Saito** **Akemi** **: I'm screaming**

**From Saito Akemi: I don't mean that like a joke, I literally just screamed.**

**From Saito Akemi: Someone just texted me a video of one of Jupiter's concerts.**

**From Saito Akemi: I took this video with my phone in my world.**

**From Saito Akemi: I'm scared to open it, what should I do?**

**From Saito Akemi: Do you think it's from whoever sent us here??**

**From Saito Akemi: Oh my god.**

**From Saito Akemi: “Sorry for the mix up with the shoes. I was more focused on making sure Mizuki-chan got the really long socks that she likes. Don't worry, you're not here forever, I just wanted you to have a little fun! I promise that you'll go home, but the kids that found you need a little bit of help, and I thought you two would be up for the job. After this, I won't send you anywhere else unless you want me to!”**

Mizuki glanced down at her legs in shock. She hadn't even considered her socks – it was so normal for her to wear ones this length that it hadn't seemed unusual at all. But someone had made an effort to make sure she had them here?

Way more important than that: Someone had sent them here to 'have fun' and help Yamato's group?

**From Saito** **Akemi** **: I just replied and asked what they mean by helping, and who they are.**

**From Saito Akemi: Tategami-san I'm freaking out.**

 

**To Saito Akemi: Stay calm. Breathe. Think happy thoughts.**

**To Saito Akemi: We'll be of no help to anyone, least of all ourselves, if we panic.**

Taking her own advice, Mizuki took a few deep breaths. There was contact with whoever or whatever had brought them there, which meant they weren't alone. Maybe they could get some answers.

Man, she wished she had Lynx right now.

**From Saito** **Akemi** **: They replied**

**From Saito Akemi: “I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you. I thought this would be a fun adventure for you two. My name is Anjie, and I like watching both of your worlds, along with this one and some others. The friends you've made here found a very dangerous world last year and they still have ties to it, so I was worried about them. It took me months to decide who I should call for help. I picked the two of you for different reasons.”**

**From Saito Akemi: I think there's more coming.**

**From Saito Akemi: Yeah, here it is.**

**From Saito Akemi: “I picked Akemi-chan because of her leadership and quick thinking, and I picked Mizuki-chan because of her ability to adapt. I also thought that both of you would benefit from this. Please, my main goal in this is for you two to have fun. Don't feel pressured to look into things until you're ready. Time will pass much slower in your worlds than it will here, so even if you need a month or two, it will only be a couple of days in your worlds.”**

The knot in Mizuki's stomach was starting to unravel. Was this suspicious as all hell? Yes, completely and absolutely. But even so, they were getting answers.

It might not have been more than a minute back home. The others wouldn't even notice she was gone yet. No one would be panicking for a while. And, if they solved this “dangerous world” situation fast enough, they might be able to get home before any panic set in at all.

**To Saito** **Akemi** **: Ask what this dangerous world is about. Can we be hurt by it?**

 

**From Saito Akemi: Asking.**

 

Mizuki's leg started shaking, and she belatedly realized she was biting her lip. She glanced up at Gabumon, who was no longer watching her, but Yamato, who had returned from his room and was straightening his T-shirt.

“I need to get going,” he explained. “Band practice.”

“I'll stay with Mizuki,” Gabumon offered. “She—hey, are you okay?”

She tried and failed to settle her leg. “Uh...New information. I'd rather come with you, if that's okay. I process better when I'm with people. It-It's a thing I'm not sure how to explain.” She didn't want to be alone. Gabumon was friendly, but Yamato was so much like her brother that it was comforting, and she didn't want to be away from that right now.

Yamato nodded without question, disappearing back into his room. Mizuki made herself stand, finding her balance and trying to calm herself.

**From Saito** **Akemi** **: “I've already made plans to protect you from that. Ask to be taken to the Village of Beginnings in the Digital World. You'll get your own Digimon partners – and yes, they'll return home with you if you want them to. The group you've** **met** **is large and powerful, and they'll be able to help you train your Digimon to protect you. I won't ask you to do anything more until you and they feel that you're ready. In the meantime, is there anything I can send you that would make you feel more comfortable?”**

**From Saito Akemi: I'm going to ask for my phone charms, I think. They were gifts from the agency.**

 

**To Saito Akemi: lynx**

**To Saito Akemi: please I want lynx I want my partner that's all I want**

Yamato was back, and had his hand on her shoulder. She carefully drew her teeth back from her lower lip again, feeling the pain from the sudden bite she'd given it. “I'm getting Lynx,” she whispered. “They're going to send me Lynx.”

“Your partner?” At her nod, Yamato smiled. “That's great to hear. You made contact with what brought you here?”

“Saito-san did. Or, they did with her. They sent us here to—to help with something. We need to get Digimon from the Village of Beginnings?”

Yamato's thinking face was so similar to Kyoya's that she almost hugged him. “I'll text Taichi. A couple of us will go over with you during the weekend.” He held out a black shirt. “For now, let's get you out of the house. You might even get some food out of it.”

She nodded slowly. Yamato pointed her to the bathroom, and once inside, she exchanged her school shirt for Yamato's. It barely fit – it was tunic-length, but she had a longer torso than he did, plus a different figure altogether. For now, though, it would do to let her pass as casual.

At the door, they slipped their shoes on, then headed out with Gabumon following behind.

**From Saito** **Akemi** **: “I'm on it.”**

Mizuki wished she didn't get teary-eyed so easily.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the other chapter that I have done, along with all the ref sheets!
> 
> http://fav.me/dd8ygnb  
> http://fav.me/dd8ygwb  
> http://fav.me/dd8yh2d  
> http://fav.me/dd8ygjv  
> http://fav.me/dd8yiiz  
> http://fav.me/dd8yil9
> 
> https://mellythedork.tumblr.com/post/185484069616/so-uh-i-actually-cant-really-remember-what

**Digimon Adventure World**

**Post-Adventure 02 Era**

 

**To Anjie: What did you do to me?**

Band practice had gone quite well. Yamato's friends were nice, and happy to include her in their pizza order. Sora had stopped by during it to bring over the clothes she'd promised, which were a bit snug, but it included sleepwear and it would do until Saturday.

By the time they'd gotten back to the apartment, Mizuki had been texted directly by Anjie with a second formal apology, and a promise that her bey would be provided the next day.

**From Anjie: What did I do? I'm not sure I understand.**

After passing along the leftover pizza to Yamato's dad – who was just as understanding as the 'Digidestined' about her and Akemi's situation – Mizuki had changed into her temporary sleepwear and flopped onto the couch for the night. She'd slept just fine.

**To Anjie: Did you go into my head and do something to it?**

That was the problem. Mizuki hadn't slept well in over a year – not since she'd been kidnapped to Hades City and forced into the Arrangement by Dr. Ziggurat.

**From Anjie: Bubbles no! I didn't do anything like that to either of you! I only changed your hair to match what was normal in this world, and your clothes to let you have the option of school. I'm not going to intrude in your mind like that! I'm so sorry if I gave off the feeling that I would!**

 

**To Anjie: You realize this is all suspicious as hell, right?**

 

**From Anjie: That's not very nice to say when Hades and the others are working so hard...but I get what you mean.**

**From Anjie: Okay, so what makes you think I did something to your head?**

 

**To Anjie: I didn't have any nightmares.**

 

**From Anjie: Oh! Is that all?**

**From Anjie: Not that I'm saying your nightmares are nothing!**

**From Anjie: What I mean is, that's understandable. You're worlds away from the reasons you have them in the first place, right? Your subconscious probably realizes it's safe from those origins as long as you're here.**

**From Anjie: I'm sure there's someone I can check with on that if you want?**

Still a bit groggy, Mizuki only now started properly registering some of the things 'Anjie' was saying. _Bubbles? Hades? Someone who can check..._

**To Anjie: ...Are you a god?**

There was no way, right? ...Though, actually, that would make the most sense in the case of how this was all happening in the first place. But a god? ...Oh boy.

**From Anjie: Before I say anything else, let me make something perfectly clear: I am not in any way, shape, or form connected to the Nemesis that caused your world such damages. That is not an official “god” of any kind, rather dark energy that became sentient and proclaimed itself one. The actual Nemesis is a lovely, if strange, woman who is far more interested in karma than she is destruction.**

**From Anjie: I'll wait if you need to process.**

 

**To Anjie: No, keep going.**

 

**From Anjie: Okay.**

**From Anjie: I myself am a goddess associated with water, music, and hope. My mother is the Greek deity known as Gaea. I myself am not connected to any myths or legends, and frankly most of my Greek family is a disaster that I try to stay away from.**

**From Anjie: Speaking of, when my mother heard that I was picking someone from a world of beyblade, she wanted me to tell you that she’s sorry she couldn’t help more against Nemesis. There are some worlds where we have limitations to how much we can interfere. For her, due to things that happened in the past of most beyblade worlds, there’s not a lot she can do in them now.**

 

**To Anjie: You're an actual for real god?**

 

**From Anjie: Well...yes.**

**From Anjie: It was my comment about Hades, wasn't it?**

 

**To Anjie: And the 'I can ask someone to check' thing about my dreams/head.**

 

**From Anjie: You know, I'm usually a lot better at keeping this secret. Would you humor me by believing that?**

 

**To Anjie: I think I'll humor most things right now. I'm tired and just spent the night in another world.**

 

**From Anjie: ...That's fair.**

**From Anjie: I'm not good with personal questions, but if there are other things you want to know, you can ask.**

 

**To Anjie: ...I'm going to eat breakfast first.**

 

**From Anjie: Okay**

 

Mizuki was way too tired for this nonsense right now.

* * *

 

 **From** **Saito** **Akemi: So...I really don't like school.**

**From Saito Akemi: I propose I test whether we have to go at all. I'm going to help in Takenouchi-san's family flower shop today instead.**

 

**To Saito Akemi: That's fine. I'll go just to be around people.**

**To Saito Akemi: Also, Anjie's a god.**

**To Saito Akemi: Her mom is Gaea and she's a goddess of water and music.**

 

**From Saito Akemi: What?**

 

**To Saito Akemi: It's been a weird morning. Ishida-san and I are going to school now. Talk to you at lunch.**

 

**From Saito Akemi: You can't just leave me hanging like that!**

**From Saito Akemi: Tategami-san!!**

 

**To Anjie: So...you're a god.**

 

**From Anjie: Yep.**

 

**To Anjie: With the power to send people to other worlds?**

 

**From Anjie: It was actually a combined effort. One of the Greek deities of time, Aion, arranged for this world to not move at the same pace as your worlds. He also set your world to the same time as Akemi-chan's and the one that I currently call home. The Roman deity of gates and transition, Janus, is the one actually responsible for transferring you. The Egyptian deity of wisdom, Thoth, helped me organize my plans from the get-go. The Norse deity Odin blessed the two of you so that you would not be noticed as outsiders to any but the Digidestined.**

**From Anjie: Then I made the uniforms for you to wear and adjusted your hair colors, since those were mostly cosmetic and none of the others thought it was necessary. But I knew it would be easier if you were able to blend in well!**

**From Anjie: Also, you know...I thought you might like it, regardless of logical reasons.**

 

**To Anjie: Will it go back to normal when I go home?**

 

**From Anjie: Unfortunately, yes. It's limited to your duration in the world you're in now. Thoth pointed out that it might be wiser to let you decide what to do with it yourself.**

Mizuki exhaled, a little disappointed. So it wasn't permanent. But...on the other hand, she could still have that dye day with Toby.

**To Anjie: So...that's a lot of gods. From a lot of different mythologies.**

 

**From Anjie: Yeah, I like to travel.**

 

**To Anjie: Are...all the gods real?**

 

**From Anjie: To some degree. Some sort of faded away instead of joining the modern world. You can probably check Egyptian mythology for details on that. I think it's noted somewhere in that...maybe.**

**From Anjie: We don't often check our own myths, so I'm going by memory, which is very long and probably not completely accurate at this point.**

 

**To Anjie: Didn't you say you don't have any myths?**

 

**From Anjie: Oh, yeah. It's easier to mingle with mortals that way.**

**From Anjie: Though there's a manga/anime series that uses me as the goddess of merfolk.**

**From Anjie: I got so mad when I found it. Changed my name and everything.**

Mizuki slowly shook her head. This was...in a word, insane. She was talking to a crazy goddess that wanted her to help in some relation to a 'very dangerous world' connected to this one.

“We can go to the Village of Beginnings tomorrow, right?” she asked Yamato. “This lady's starting to sound nuts and I'd like to get this done and go home as soon as possible.”

“Sure. Though Sora might make you go shopping first.”

Thinking of the barely-fitting clothes she had right now that were her only other non-uniform option, Mizuki decided that was acceptable.

* * *

School was a blessedly normal experience, even if she didn't go at home. No one questioned Akemi's absence. Jou ate lunch with her – she found the same lunchbox from the day before in her desk, with the same food inside – and they discussed plans to go to the Digital World the next day. It seemed they were in agreement that he, Yamato, and Sora would go, as they were the three that the girls were most comfortable around so far. Jou also suggested they bring Hikari or Takeru, as they apparently had more consistent luck with opening the 'Digital Gate'. They decided to go over it with Akemi later.

Just before lunch ended, Akemi reported that her phone charms had appeared in the mail slot of the flower shop. Mizuki didn't have time to reply – well, she might have, but she was liking the order this school had and didn't feel like texting during class – but it made her hopeful that Lynx would be waiting for her at Yamato's apartment.

Maybe it was just the sheer calm and casual feeling of her surroundings, but Mizuki wasn't bothered by the idea of being in school. Of course, the fact that she didn't get assignments probably also helped.

She also kicked butt during the English lesson again, simply because she could. And it was funny to see the faces Jou pulled.

When classes were over, she and Jou met Yamato and the others at the shoe lockers. Taichi, who appeared to be the leader of their group, had no problem with the team they wanted to take with them the next day. Sora was adding something, but whatever it was, it was lost as background noise when Mizuki opened her shoe locker.

A wave of chilly, familiar energy rushed out, sweeping over her in comfort. Frost Lynx's spirit appeared, rubbing its head on her arm and purring loudly. Mizuki's hands lifted to scratch the spirit's chin and head. She felt herself grinning.

“It's so good to see you,” she breathed. Lynx slowly blinked at her in response, gently headbutted her hand a few times, then faded back into its bey. She removed it from the locker and held it tightly to her chest, feeling the weight of her anxieties chased away.

She didn't have her brothers, or her team, but she had Lynx. Lynx was enough.

She could do this.

Becoming aware again of her surroundings, Mizuki felt the confused stares of the others on her. Keeping Lynx in hand, she switched out her shoes, and removed her launcher from the locker, momentarily hugging it as well. Only when she was done did she turn back to the others, showing Lynx off proudly.

“This is my partner,” she explained, still smiling broadly. “Frost Lynx.”

She could tell the others didn't fully understand. Jou gave a very polite, if misconceived, “It's uh, very nice to meet you, Frost Lynx.”

Waving them along, Mizuki chuckled, “Let me show you how this works.”

By the time the others had their own shoes exchanged, Mizuki had wandered to the side of the school entrance and locked Lynx in. Not wanting to draw too much attention to them, she made the countdown quietly, and withheld her usual cry of 'let it rip', making a restrained grunt instead. Lynx landed gracefully, spinning in circles as was its purpose. Feeling their bond as if it had never been severed, Mizuki guided the bey into different patterns, let it charge and slow as if working a battle strategy, laughed as it circled Taichi's feet and nearly made him trip over himself.

“Lynx is what's known as a beyblade,” she said once she felt she'd awed them enough. “They're made of five different parts – face bolt, energy ring, fusion wheel, spin track, and performance tip. The fusion wheel decides the first word in the bey's name – in this case, 'Frost'. The Frost wheel specializes in attacks. The face bolt and energy ring decide the second word, in this case 'Lynx', coming from the constellation. Spin tracks can either help attack, balance, or defense. Performance tips can determine friction, stamina, and balance. No matter what combination of parts, a bey is always connected to its partner – its blader, as we call ourselves.” Mizuki felt like she was glowing, being able to properly explain things now. “Some beyblades, if they're strong enough, or have a deep enough bond with their blader, house spirits based off their constellation. Frost Lynx appears to me and other bladers as...well, as the name would suggest.”

“Amazing,” Jou remarked, adjusting his glasses as he tried to follow the bey's quick movements. “And this is a common item – er, battle partner, in your world?”

Mizuki nodded. “It's a global sport, where bladers battle against others in tournaments. If there was another blader here, I'd be more than happy to demonstrate, but...”

“It's like those battle tops that were around when we were kids,” Taichi mused. “Except those spun out after like a minute, at most. And definitely weren't connected to anything like spirits or stars.”

“I bet it's a lot of fun,” Sora sighed. “I'd love to see a battle like that one day. And the spirits don't mind?”

“Mmm...how do I put this? Some like to say they're born when the parts are put together for the first time. Others think the spirits are the blader's guardian angel, that enters the bey when it's made to keep watching over them. They seem to enjoy the battles as much as we do...sometimes even more, I think.” Watching Lynx nostalgically, Mizuki recalled the first battle its spirit had risen in – the first time she'd beaten Kyoya, when they were seven. “First we have to prove ourselves. Then we have to keep that partnership balanced, alongside our bey. Anything less than that is an insult.”

Yamato was nodding with understanding. “It's mutually beneficial – the spirits want the action, and the bladers want the socialization and the thrill.”

Pleased, Mizuki nodded back. “Right! We have to help each other, or neither of us are happy. You can't battle without your bey, and your bey can't battle without you.”

They had many, many more questions, and after calling Lynx back to her hand, Mizuki was more than happy to answer them on their way to the flower shop.

Mizuki couldn't wait to introduce Akemi to her partner.

* * *

The very moment that Lynx left Mizuki's pocket, Akemi dropped a watering can and clapped her hands over her mouth, as if trying not to scream. Her eyes looked huge, focused solely on Lynx.

“Saito-san?” Mizuki tried cautiously.

One of Akemi's hands shot out to point accusingly at the bey. Her arm was shaking slightly. “Th-Th-Th-That's a beyblade!”

For a moment, Mizuki was lost for words. <i>Saito-san knows what a bey is?</i>

Equally confused, Sora asked, “Do you have beyblades in your world, too?”

Akemi shook her head, almost violently. Slowly removing her hand from her mouth, she seemed to be viewing Mizuki in a completely different light. “A-Are you...Tategami...You're not related to Tategami Kyoya, are you?”

“...How do you know his name?”

After visibly suppressing either a shriek or a squeal, Akemi started clapping her hands together in excitement. “This is! The coolest thing! That has ever! Happened! To me!”

Recollections of yesterday managed to catch up. _If Saito-san's world is an anime to me..._

Mizuki's eyes grew just as wide as Akemi's. “My world's an anime to _you?_ ”

Questions started tumbling out of Akemi's mouth. “Are you Kyoya's sister? Or his cousin? Is he really as grumpy as they make him out to be? I heard he has a brother in the manga, but I could never find it, is it true? His name's supposed to be Kakeru. What's Benkei like? Does he give good hugs? Has Madoka ever wanted to hack the WBBA? Are she and Yuki related? Wait, do you know who Yuki is? What year is it there? Or uh, what tournament do you remember last? What kind of bey is that? Do you have any special moves? What-”

The actions that Mizuki took next were solely from instinct. Six years of Masamune's babbling, and six years of figuring out how to shut him up, took over. Mizuki stepped forward, retrieved the watering can from the floor, and dumped it over onto Akemi's head, dousing her and rendering her silent from shock.

“Come back down to Earth, Miss High-Speed Chatter. Your planet's language is way too fast for us here,” she recited.

Silence enveloped the shop. As Mizuki lowered the watering can, she registered what she'd done. Like Akemi before her, she dropped the item to the floor, although this time there was no liquid inside to keep it from bouncing and toppling. Her now empty hand flew up to cover her mouth, which hung open in surprise at herself.

“I am _so_ sorry,” she whispered.

Water dripped from Akemi's hair, seeping into the shirt from Sora and the apron from the shop. She blinked dumbly at Mizuki, but gave no other response.

Behind her, the others stepped into action. Sora led Akemi to the back of the shop, while Taichi retrieved the watering can. Yamato called for Piyomon. Jou searched for something to wipe up the spill.

Mizuki stood there, horrified and ashamed with herself, until she felt Taichi's hand on her shoulder. She turned to him urgently. “I didn't mean-”

“I know.” He cut her off gently, smiling. “I bet she knows, too. Go help her clean up.”

Stuffing Lynx into her pocket, Mizuki sped after the other girls, hoping her face wasn't as flushed with embarrassment as she thought it was.

“-deserved that,” she heard Akemi saying as she entered the back hall. It was coming from the room to the left, so Mizuki trudged on in that direction.

“How could anyone deserve to have a bunch of water dumped over their head just for asking questions?” Sora argued. Akemi – Mizuki was pretty sure it was Akemi, since it overlapped Sora's voice – giggled.

“Well, she didn't totally freak out on me when she found out where I was from. I should've given that same respect back.”

Mizuki peered through the doorway – going by the small lockers at the walls, the table, and the chairs, this was the break room. As she did so, Sora huffed. “I don't see how that works, but alright, I guess—ah, Tategami-san.”

At the mention of her, Akemi turned around, in the process of adjusting the clean shirt she'd just put on. The wet one and the apron were on the table beside her, and her hair was pulled up in a messy...something, mostly hidden under a small towel. Mizuki waited nervously for her to say something.

Akemi had an apologetic look on her face, which threw her off completely. The only thing she said was, “Masamune?”

“...Uh...how did-?”

“Of all the people from that show, he's the only one I can picture going so off the rails that he needs a soak like that.” Akemi giggled again, but it quickly faded. “Hey, uh...I shouldn't have gone off like that. It was rude-”

“Whoa, what, no,” Mizuki interrupted swiftly. “I dumped a watering can on your head, I'm the one that should apologize!”

“Would you believe me if I said this wasn't the first time that's happened to me?”

Both Mizuki and Sora stared at her. Akemi laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, one time I was helping HighxJoker and got a little too nuts, so Jun-san took a water bottle and just...I deserved it then, too.” She shrugged. “Of course, Haruna-san thought it was hilarious.”

“...You inherited your dad's little uh, passion outbursts, didn't you?”

“Ah...yeah.”

The two laughed, leaving Sora confused and missing the joke. In the end she just sighed, shook her head, and told them she'd be back in front when Akemi was ready to get back to work.

Just as she left the room, though, Sora appeared to remember something and popped her head back in. “Oh! If Piyomon comes in, she's really good at drying hair. I think Yamato was calling for her.”

At Akemi's nod, Sora vanished to the shop proper, leaving the world-hoppers alone.

“So,” Akemi offered after a few silent moments, “I talk about my boys, you talk about yours?”

Mizuki sighed. “Sure, as long as you dump some water on my head later to pay me back.”

“Mmm, we'll see. Why don't you just wear the wet shirt for now?”

“That's fair. Oh, but by the way-”

“Hm?”

“Yes, I'm Kyoya's adoptive sister, and Kakeru is our little brother. I've only met Benkei-san, Madoka-san, and Yuki-san a handful of times, so I don't really know anything about them. Nemesis was beaten half a year ago. I have two special moves that I can't show off in public or we'd definitely cause a scene, and this-” She pulled Lynx from her pocket, “-is Frost Lynx.”

Grinning to an extent that Mizuki was still getting Masamune vibes from her, Akemi was too thrilled to respond.

_Note to self, never, ever, ever let her and Masamune be in the same room. Or building. Ever._

* * *

“Your hair color looks probably definitely the same as Yuki's. So do your eyes!”

“So you say.”

“But then again it feels like your temper would be similar to Madoka's, and the show never let us see her dad, which is her only canonical relative ever mentioned.”

“I'll take your word for it.”

“Definitely not Zeo. You know him too well, and you'd know if he'd lost a sister at some point.”

“Yeah, we tried that route when we met. We were a bunch of very sad ten-year-olds when we finally gave up.”

“You know, you two are awfully calm for being stuck in another world for now three days,” Sora cut in.

Pausing in their debate, Mizuki and Akemi turned away from the clothes racks they were looking through. Both glanced at the amused Sora for a moment, then at each other. “To be fair,” Mizuki ventured, “I adapt really well to new environments.” That was something she'd known even before Anjie had said it – it had only taken her two weeks to decide she'd wanted to stay in New York. Here, after the initial panic had worn off, she was feeling relatively calm.

True, they were stuck here, and they couldn't seem to change that. On the other hand, they were here for something specific – a goddess, an actual goddess, had picked them to help with something. It was like something out of the books she and Toby loved to read. Maybe that was why she wasn't freaking out as much as she ought to be.

That, and freaking out wouldn't help the situation. In her experience, freaking out when you were kidnapped only made things worse.

Beside her, Akemi shrugged. “I watch so much anime that I think part of me was convinced I'd go to another world someday already.”

Sora rolled her eyes. Mizuki had a feeling that if Yamato was with them, he'd be doing the same. As it was, he, Hikari, and Jou had elected to help Koushirou prepare the gate to the Digital World while the girls shopped, and were outside the store. Mizuki couldn't blame them – shopping was really boring when you weren't the one getting things.

Turning back to the clothing racks, Mizuki let her foot bump Akemi's. She wasn't sure how they'd started it, but it felt like a symbol of unity between them. The fear that Akemi was hiding may not have been clear to Sora, but it was clear to her.

Mizuki had been kidnapped before – in completely different circumstances, of course, but the initial feeling was similar. She'd had no choice the first time but to learn to stay calm, compartmentalize, and wait. Akemi, on the other hand, hadn't had any experiences that could even remotely prepare her for this. Mizuki understood that.

Mizuki also knew that this meant she wasn't only responsible for keeping herself calm – she was responsible for Akemi's well-being, too. She would make sure that Akemi was still herself when she got home, so that Jupiter and the others wouldn't have to worry.

The clatter of a plastic hanger hitting the floor snapped her out of her thoughts. Turning, Mizuki found Akemi at another rack, a vest of some kind now at her feet. Hair blocked Akemi's face, keeping her from seeing the expression on it, but Mizuki recognized panic when she saw it – twitching hands, feet ready to run, shaking arms. She shoved her clothing selections into Sora's arms and started walking over, but even with her quickened pace, she didn't catch Akemi before she bolted.

“Saito-san!” Sora exclaimed in alarm. Mizuki ignored her, watching the path Akemi was taking. She disappeared into one of the fitting rooms. _Not fear. Just the desire to be isolated. She doesn't want to worry us. What happened?_

Knowing Akemi couldn't leave her hiding spot without them noticing, Mizuki wasn't immediately concerned with following her. For the moment, she knelt down to pick up the purple vest that Akemi had dropped, trying to discern what it was about the garment that—

_Ohh...that would do it._

The moment she saw the back of it, it all made sense. 315 Productions used stars all over the place – in their company logo, in their costumes, in their merchandise. The vest was embroidered with a trail of white stars, growing in size from the bottom to the top. There was no doubt – Akemi's panic response had been triggered by the similarities to her agency's symbol.

Mizuki carefully settled the vest back on its hanger, taking a slow breath as she tried to think. _It's the same thing I would've done last year if I'd seen so much as a plastic egg. Too much like the Arrangement pod, to my subconscious._

Okay. She could figure this out.

Her own experiences were brought on by trauma and fear. Her friends had needed to constantly stay at her side and reassure her for months before she felt safe being alone. Akemi's situation was very, very different – yes, she was alone, like Mizuki had been, but it wasn't reassuring that she needed. As far as Mizuki could tell, it wasn't that Akemi was afraid she'd never get home – it was more that she was afraid of being away from her home in general.

She didn't need reassuring. She needed something familiar – something comforting.

Noticing that Sora was moving toward the fitting rooms, Mizuki put an arm out to stop her and shook her head. “I'll take care of it. Just give her a moment right now.”

 _I would run to the bathroom or a closet because I didn't want to cry in front of my friends. I'm sure Saito-san is doing the same thing._ Taking a moment to check her phone for the time, Mizuki made a mental note to give Akemi a few minutes before following her. _I'll let her calm down a bit, then see what I can do._

“Takenouchi-san, we'll meet you and the others outside, okay? I think we've got enough clothes for now.”

Glancing at the fitting rooms with uncertainty, Sora slowly nodded. “Alright...”

Neither of them said anything when Mizuki added the vest to the assortment. _She might want it when she's calmed down,_ she reasoned. She knew she would've given anything to just see one of Masamune's stupid drawings while she'd been confined. Even if Akemi didn't wear it, looking at it every once in a while might help.

Sora and Piyomon walked away to purchase their selections. In the meantime, Mizuki unhurriedly made her way to the fitting rooms, trying to sort through ideas on how to help Akemi. Something familiar to her. Mizuki had no idea what the idols or Akemi's father would do to comfort her, so she needed something a bit more unorthodox – something that wouldn't overlap the wrong way with what Akemi already knew.

Music made sense. Akemi helped at her father's agency, so the music the idols there sang probably meant a lot to her. That was no problem – Mizuki had several CDs from the franchise, and at this point knew many songs by heart. She could sing at least half of the 315 Pro. songs without the music.

Most of the songs she could come up with were fast and upbeat. Mizuki knew there were at least one or two slower ones, but she wasn't sure if she could remember the words – no, wait. Jupiter's 'Planet scape'. She knew that one. It was slow, and soft, and she'd fallen asleep to it at least a hundred times. More than that, as she thought through the lyrics, it gave a message that she felt both of them needed right now.

Mizuki stepped into the fitting room right next to Akemi's, making sure to close the curtain carefully. Pressed against the wall, she could hear Akemi trying to keep her crying quiet. She flinched at the sound – she'd done it herself more times than she could count in the past year.

Alright. They were both enclosed now. No one would be able to see her singing in a store for seemingly no reason. All she had to do was make sure she projected enough that Akemi would hear her through a thin wall.

 _You're a music goddess, right Anjie?_ she thought. _Help Saito-san hear this. Please._

Closing her eyes, she played through the song's intro in her mind, trying to catch the right tempo, the right starting notes. Only when she was sure she had it right did she start.

 

“I can't quite figure out what path in front of me is the one that I should take

And it is to my surprise that even yesterday is so bright that I could break”

“Then a voice inside asked me to turn around

Now I have to know, what is it I can do?

I want to believe

I want to see more of that light ahead, so now I'll draw my future”

 

_Please be listening, Akemi..._

 

“There is my hope

So I'll journey on and cross straight ahead, move onward to this endless sky

And become a planet brighter than a star shining down on you

Once I wished, even if someday, the unknown takes hold and our path is vague

I can be more than I can be today so that hope can come your way

While I made this prayer, I walked ever on”

 

Though fully prepared to continue to the second verse, Mizuki quieted herself when she heard Akemi's quiet voice. “T...Tategami-san?”

“Mizuki. Call me Mizuki.”

Akemi sniffled. She couldn't seem to find the words she wanted to say, so Mizuki kept going herself. “You remember what Anjie said, right? A month here is only a day back home. We can come up with something to tell them to explain where you were for a day. And until then, I'm right here. I know what you're going through, and you don't have to do it alone.”

“Y...You do?”

Mizuki's fists clenched against the wall. She forced her breathing to steady, but was only partially successful. “My world...the anime must have mentioned the Arrangements, right? How my friends went through them?”

“Y-Yeah.”

 _She needs this—_ Mizuki swallowed. _...I need this._ “Well...I-I'm not in the anime, right? Like you're not. I...I went through something around that time, too. I was...”

 _You just met her a couple of days ago. Why would you tell her this?_ part of her screamed.

 _She's scared. She think she's alone. She needs to know she's not._ Mizuki tried to reason with herself, tried to give herself the strength to say what she wanted to say. _I don't need to tell her everything. I just need to tell her enough so that she knows I'm on her side._

Her next few breaths were shaky. _I know so many things about the idols in her world. Private things I have no business knowing. She knows things like that about my friends, too. But I was part of my friends' stories, and if she knows some of it, it's better she knows things from me so that she doesn't accidentally ask hurtful questions. Right?_

_...Right._

She placed her hand on the wall, shutting her eyes. “A year ago...Toby was in the hospital...Zeo was working under the Arrangements...Ziggurat kidnapped me.”

There was no answer from Akemi that she could tell, besides a sharp gasp she may have imagined. _You don't have to say everything. This is your life, not hers._

_You're telling her this because you want her to know she isn't alone like you were._

“It was about halfway through the tournament. I was kept in Hades City, alone in a small room, until WBBA officials searched it to take Ziggurat's research and remove all remaining Arrangement victims. It was weeks after I'd been taken. Months, maybe, it's mostly a fog.” _I was one of the victims._ _Y_ _ou don't need to know that yet._

“I know that being ripped away from your loved ones is torture. The smallest things bring up their faces, and it tears you apart. I...I just wanted you to know that I get it. And I'm here for you.” It was hard to speak with the lump in her throat, but she forced her words out. Crying for herself, pitying herself, it wouldn't help anything.

_It's over already. I'm allowed to move on. I'm allowed to get better._

“A blader knows when their opponent can be trusted,” she went on, hoping Akemi wouldn't notice the strain in her voice, but knowing she would. “In a bey battle, you learn things about the way the other person views the world, views life. Sometimes...you see things in your opponent that scare you. Sometimes you learn horrible things, and you don't know if you're ready to keep going. But...”

Mizuki swallowed. She felt like she was tripping over her words, trying to get the right ones out. “You and I have never battled. But we've seen each other's worlds, seen each other's struggles. I think it's a very similar thing. We might not know the specifics about what each other have gone through, but we've both seen the pain in each other's worlds, and the things that each other's friends had to go through before it was put right. And yeah, it's scary, and yeah, we don't know what's going to happen now, but we know that we have each other, and even if we see that in different ways – even if I see our bond as blader to blader, or you see it as idol to idol, that doesn't matter. What matters is that it's there, and we're here, and we can do this.”

Rubbing furiously at her face, trying to destroy her tears before they could leave evidence, Mizuki stepped toward the curtain blocking her from the store, and carefully stretched her leg out at the edge. “Akemi-chan?”

There was a whispered “Yes?” and Mizuki heard the other curtain move as she followed her voice. “We're going to see things our friends could never imagine. We're going to do things they couldn't dream of doing. And I think that – the thought of being able to see and do those things – with someone that I look at and _know_ I can trust, is why I'm okay with being here.” She kicked her foot against the barrier between them. “Akemi-chan, do you trust me?”

Her leg was bent a bit awkwardly, but Mizuki's foot stretched out just between their stalls. If anyone was looking in their direction, she was sure it would look crazy. She didn't care.

She held her foot out for several seconds, waiting. She could hear Akemi sniffling, breathing sharply as she tried to calm herself – the music in the store seemed a million miles away. Right now, it was just the two of them, and Mizuki wouldn't listen to anything but-

“I do.” Akemi's foot tapped hers.

With relief flooding through her, Mizuki smiled. “Then let's make ourselves such a passion-filled story that your dad's going to be jealous of it for the rest of his life, huh?”

There was a light giggle. “We'll be the 'Number One' world-hoppers.”

“You bet your stars we will.”

By the time Mizuki had rubbed her eyes once more and stepped out of the stall, Akemi was waiting for her. She looked awful, but she was trying to smile. Mizuki offered one of her own.

“We'll get home before our families can worry too much,” she promised. “And like I said, I'll even help you come up with something to tell the really nosy people you don't want to tell the truth to. Okay?”

Akemi nodded. “Okay.”

Together, they walked to the entrance, where Piyomon and Sora were finishing up with the purchases. The pink bird lit up when she caught sight of them, rushing to Akemi with her wings flared up in excitement. “Akemi-san! Are you okay?”

With Piyomon's voice, the spell of silence was broken. As Akemi assured the Digimon she was okay, Mizuki's ears started filtering in the sounds of the store again – the beeps from the register, the clacking of hangers, the sliding of the doors. They didn't need the quiet now, so noise could resume.

“We're going to need some kind of frozen treat before we get out of here,” Mizuki informed Sora. “The world-hoppers desire comfort.”

Her eyes met Akemi's, and both girls smiled.

* * *

**From Anjie: Hello. I work for Anjie. She's legally obligated to not say which prayers she answers, but she's sobbing on the floor right now because you're the first person to pray to her in a long time, apparently. I figured I'd say thank you on her behalf. I hope whatever it was, it works out.**

 

**To Anjie: Oh, uh, thanks. Sorry for the trouble?**

 

**From Anjie: It's nothing out of the ordinary, don't worry about it. Have fun on whatever adventure it is she's sent you on!**

_So either I just spoke to another god, or there's at least one normal person that knows this is going on,_ Mizuki thought as she munched on her popsicle, waiting for the others to set up the Digital Gate. _Hmm....how do legal obligations work for gods, anyway? I wonder if that was just a substitute phrase. Or could she actually get like, god-sued for telling me she helped? Man, gods are weird._

It probably wasn't the best idea to think that of the people who brought her to another dimension, but Mizuki didn't see anything happening that would change her mind any time soon.

As she slid her phone into her boot – a handy thing when you didn't have pockets – Mizuki noticed Jou glancing over. Again. _Right._

When they'd stopped to get their frozen goodies, she and Akemi had gone into the bathroom to change their clothes. Akemi had decided to wear a really cute white summer dress with black accents, and she just looked _adorable._ Mizuki had picked a dress that had some kind of really cool gradient in the fabric, making it look vaguely like a sunset. It was also a couple inches shorter than Akemi's.

Well, it wasn't the first time she'd caught a boy's attention, and it wouldn't be the last. At least he wasn't being creepy about it. He seemed more embarrassed than anything.

Hikari and Sora thought it was cute, though, and they weren't awkward or too embarrassed to say it. Girl power.

“All set,” Hikari announced, taking out her digivice – a different model from the others’ that they called a D-3 “The gate should take us straight to the Village of Beginnings. It's too bad Takeru-kun couldn't make it, he loves visiting.”

“He and Patamon already promised Mom they'd help her out today, so it couldn't be helped,” Yamato shrugged. “They’ve made sure they’re free tomorrow. He’s excited to meet people from another world.”

Akemi gave a quiet chuckle. “I think I know the feeling.” She exchanged a glance with Mizuki, and both girls snickered at the thought of the watering can event from the day before.

Gomamon, Jou’s Rookie-level partner which resembled a white sea lion with indigo fur patterns, rocked on his flippers/feet excitedly. “Well, let’s get going already!”

Hikari smiled, then nodded at the girls. “I’d suggest closing your eyes. It can be a little jarring if you’re not used to it.”

“Take as much time as you need,” Koushirou added. “I’ve got plenty of research to do while you’re gone.”

Eyeing the laptop that Koushirou had set on a bench, Mizuki slowly nodded. “Okay...here goes, I guess.”

All but Koushirou gathered in front of the laptop, Hikari in front. Mizuki made sure to tap Akemi’s foot before closing her eyes.

“Ready,” Akemi said shakily. Mizuki couldn’t tell if it was fear or excitement.

“Digital Gate, open!” they heard Hikari say. Not even a second later, Mizuki felt like she was being wrapped tightly into a too-itchy blanket, and for a couple of seconds she heard nothing but static, and her feet couldn’t find the floor. After that...

* * *

**Digimon Adventure World**

**Post-Adventure 02 Era**

**Digital World**

 

She felt something soft like tall carpet under her feet. There was the scent of rice and milk in the air. She could hear the others talking, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. It just sounded like the static of the gate.

Something was stopping her from opening her eyes, too. She couldn’t see, and she could barely hear. A pressure was stuck around her head, blocking them, almost warning her she wasn’t ready.

_Not again._

Mizuki knew this feeling. She’d been stuck with it for days after her Arrangement. She’d barely been able to see, and no matter how loud she yelled, she’d never been able to hear herself.

 _No. No, no, no, not again. Not again!_ She clenched her fists, trying to fight the feeling off. She’d been helpless last time, alone with no one to guide her, alone locked in a room. She almost hadn’t noticed when her sight and hearing had returned back then. It had only been clear when the WBBA had found her.

Everything had been so _loud_ after that. Footsteps, voices, even the wind – everything threatened to deafen her. She’d tried earplugs, pillows, noise canceling headphones. Nothing had helped. It was like Toby and what the Arrangement had left in him – things would float, food he touched would go bad, he couldn’t sit in the grass without it all dying around him. The curses he’d gained from his Arrangement made space and time unstable around him – it had taken months of practice to control it. Even now, if he wasn’t paying attention, he could break something just by touching it.

They’d come to the conclusion that Mizuki’s hearing had been scrambled. For the first couple of months, everything was too loud, until in a fit of anger during a storm she’d thrown something to the wall and screamed and suddenly she couldn’t hear it anymore.

And the item she’d thrown was floating just short of the wall.

Mizuki hadn’t been able to hear birds or wind or footsteps ever since. Everyone had to raise their voices a little around her, or it was hard to make out what they were saying. When she got upset or angry, anything she touched would bob up into the air and float until either Toby used his own ‘powers’ to make them drop like stones, or she was able to calm down.

Sound and gravity, Toby’s mom theorized. They’d tried going to multiple doctors, therapists, hearing specialists, but nothing had restored her hearing to normal. Training with Toby and Zeo (though what Zeo’s powers would be called, they had no idea) had helped control her power over gravity, but it still acted up when her emotions got heated.

If something was floating right now, she wouldn’t be surprised.

While she’d been going through school in this new world, meeting the Digidestined, she could have sworn that every so often, she could hear the quiet things. The wind and the footsteps and the birds that she hadn’t heard in seven months. She’d been able to tune out the sounds of the store and focus on singing to Akemi, and she’d been able to bring it back when she was done. She was hoping it was along the same line as her nightmares – she was away from Ziggurat. Worlds away. She was safe from him, and there were people helping her, and no one had given even a hint of animosity toward her.

Mizuki could feel, but couldn’t hear, her heavy breath. _No._ Not again. She couldn’t lose all that again. She _wouldn’t._ Hearing nothing at all was torture, and she refused to live through it again.

If she could control her powers of gravity, then she could control her powers of sound.

She yelled, probably startling everyone in the process, for Akemi to sing. Something. _Anything._ She needed an anchor. She needed a way to tell if she was working in the right direction. _‘I can’t hear. I’m trying something. Touch my hand when you start.’_

Mizuki wasn’t alone this time. This time, she had help.

When she felt someone tap her hand, Mizuki imagined the loudest cacophony of sounds she could come up with.

Traffic during rush hour. Masamune trying to play the piano. Karaoke night with the gym. A battle royal. A tournament stadium packed full in the middle of the most exciting battle in history. Notifications from phones, computers, TVs, all piling up around each other.

She wanted it back. She wanted it _back_ and she wanted it _right,_ and she wouldn’t stop fighting until it was _exactly_ the way it had been before Ziggurat had taken it.

Not this time.

This time, she imagined Kakeru’s cries that she cheated whenever she beat him in a video game. She remembered Toby pulling out his guitar for the first time in two years and trying to tune it. Beys clashing in the gym’s practice dish. Coach Steel threatening shadow launches when they got too loud and out of hand. King stealing Toby’s guitar and trying to play it to Masamune, while singing so off-key that Zeo had threatened to launch Spiral Fox at him.

Every cry, every shout, every out of tune note, she wanted all of it back. Every chirp, whisper, and rustling leaf, it had been gone _too long_ and she wasn’t going to stand it anymore.

She didn’t have the courage to fight for it before. But if it was going to try to take _everything,_ that was another story.

Mizuki _would not_ let it take her friends’ voices away from her. She would fight Ziggurat himself if she had to.

_I’m the one that’s in control here!_

 

_“-for my dream, still far from reach, so I'll go anywhere”_

 

Akemi’s voice broke through the silence. It was quiet, but it was audible, and Mizuki mentally threw herself at it, pulling it in and wrapping it back into her head where it belonged.

 

_“Yes, I can hear – It's transmitting now_

_Signal's not clear – Static won't stop me_

_Fragments of my dream will travel on to reach my grasp...Yes I'm sure_

_Reach for the dream”_

 

Mizuki shoved sound into her vocal chords, screaming as loud as she could, not thinking about the words – and it clicked into place.

 

_“As long as I have hope, I’ll fight for it!”_

 

Twisting and shaping the sound all around her, Mizuki heard the song tumbling from her mouth, volume shifting up and down as she wrestled with her powers.

 

“Brand new field

I'll take you along...and we'll run to the sky

Running far beyond and never looking back

I'll grab fate in the palm of my hand – Let's go!

Brand new live

There is still no need – no need – for our limits today

Fly! And we'll move past the challenge

Past the sky and pierce the heavens”

 

Finally, _finally,_ it stopped fighting. Mizuki’s voice was at a normal volume, Akemi’s voice at just the right level for someone a few feet away.

 

“We Jump!

We Dash! And we still believe

That the future we feel inside

Is something we can achieve...I don't think I can wait”

 

Mizuki let out something that she couldn’t identify as a laugh or a cry, but she didn’t care. She could hear it, and that was all that mattered.

Wind, rustling through the trees. The unmistakable sounds of birds and insects, even if they were louder than she was used to. Young voices laughing, toys clicking and beeping and whirring.

She could hear it all.

“I finally did it, Toby,” she whispered, feeling tears of triumph running down her face. She definitely laughed this time, weakly, but proudly. “I finally won...”

Brown took over her vision as Akemi hugged her tightly, Mizuki burying her face in her friend’s hair. Everything was right again.

“I’m sorry,” she tried to say, but Akemi shushed her.

“I know. You don’t have to explain. I’m glad you’re okay.”

She knew?

As she calmed down in Akemi’s arms, Mizuki realized she didn’t care that she knew. She’d helped her come back. She’d helped her fight.

She was glad that she knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe it took me a month to remember to do this, but-
> 
> Song credits: "Planet scape" and "Brand New Field" by Jupiter in Idolmaster SideM (self-translated)


End file.
